Book Review - Becoming German: The 1709 Palatine Migration to New York.

Phillip L Otterness, author. Cornell University Press.

I have just finished reading the above book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about their Irish Palatine ancestors.   

The author takes us through understanding who the Palatines were, why they left Germany,  what their journey was like as they made their (roundabout) way to New York in the early 1700’s.  The author also discusses their trials and tribulations as eventual settlers of New York.

I have to admit, at first I did not understand the title of the book - “Becoming German”.  Essentially this book is a story of an ever-changing identity.   The author goes into great detail exploring how the Palatines, people who originated from many different areas of Germany (and Europe) and being of different religious backgrounds, wound up having their identity as “Germans” and “Palatines” shaped and reshaped by others.  

He also explores how they felt about themselves.   Initially they considered themselves as being, for example, from Westerwald, or Hessen.   When they arrived in America, many of whom were widowed en route, there were pressures for them to remarry and maintain a family group.  This pushed them to marry outside of their usual circles (Hessians now no longer only married other Hessians, for example).   This and other factors forced a new identity of “being German”. 

The author also exposed the never-ending chaos which they faced, trying to leave Germany and make their way to America.  They were deluded into thinking the Queen of England wanted to help them migrate; many were sent back (from England, their “pit-stop”, back to Germany), many went to Ireland; also they thought their journey would be seamless - it wasn’t,  and they expected a utopian life upon arrival in the New World.  None of this held true.   Alas, history is often chaotic, it is sometimes heartbreaking and full of “realities”.    This book has taught me to be careful of generalizing historical events and descriptions of people. 

At the end of the book, Phillip has 36 pages chock full of notes, sources and a bibliography.  

He bases a lot of his knowledge on the wonderful research done by Hank Jones.

I highly recommend this read.  I purchased my copy as a Kindle ebook, but you can also purchase it online from the publisher, Cornell University Press, or directly from Amazon.

Susan Arness, PLCGS

Waterloo, ON